


They Just Don't Know You

by Illnoira666 (Erin330)



Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: F1 1998, Implied Relationships, M/M, Rumours, media
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-24
Updated: 2020-11-24
Packaged: 2021-03-10 07:47:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,407
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27699872
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Erin330/pseuds/Illnoira666
Summary: The media in the F1 paddock seem to believe that Michael Schumacher is unable to settle down, though he is at that age that most men are already married. There are snapshots taken between 1993 and 1999 that imply he has a promiscuous nature and very much sleeping around with both men and women.
Relationships: Mika Häkkinen/Michael Schumacher
Kudos: 10





	They Just Don't Know You

_‘The Illegal Pass’_ was quite an interesting headline, Michael mused, but the article itself was trash. So, he threw it in the bin where it belonged.

Once more he was being accused of sleeping around, this time with teammate Eddie Irvine, and therefore damaging the image of Formula One. He was a big name in the sport, and journalists were haunting him for a good juicy story.

And well, the fact that he was still unmarried drew a lot of attention apparently.

The German did want a life partner, but he just didn’t care about a ring around his finger. He would admit he was a flirt, he flirted with men and women alike, but he wouldn’t call himself promiscuous. Because he didn’t just give his body to anyone, he did need some sort of emotional connection with his partner.

The double champion just flopped on his hotel bed when he felt his phone vibrate. He pulled it out of his pocket to see he had received a text message.

The message simply said: _‘Idiots’_.

Schumacher laughed. “Mika, you’re hilarious.”

His title rival this year, Mika Häkkinen, was a man full of surprises.

On the outside, the Finn appeared cool and collected with no real sense of humour. But oh man, what a humour did that guy have. He was sarcastic at times and somehow being able to light up the room with few words, something that seemed to be a Finnish speciality.

He decided to call the McLaren driver.

_“Häkkinen.”_

“Hi Mika.” Michael greeted. “You read the article too?”

Mika snorted. _“Hard not to. DC’s girlfriend leaves these magazines all over the McLaren hospitality. Title’s a bit… awkward though.”_

This time it was the German’s turn to snort. “Yeah… I’m getting used to them.”

 _“With how many people have you been accused of sleeping?”_ the platinum blonde asked. _“I know about this one rumour that Benetton held some sort of orgy and you and Herbert were the ones getting fucked.”_

 _‘Oh yeah, that rumour.’_ the double champion laughed as he heard it. “The media has probably accused me of sleeping with literally everybody in the paddock. So, you can guess the number’s pretty high.”

The man on the other side of the line hummed. _“Haven’t yet seen articles where you’ve been accused of sleeping with me. Guess that wouldn’t have made much of an impression though, I was just a midfield runner the past three years.”_

“Not quite juicy enough.” Michael took a sip of his tea. “But it would be juicy now. Both title contenders.”

The Finn laughed, which made his rival smile too. _“Oh,_ juicy _! The press would love it.”_

“They just want to drag my name through the mud.”

 _“Give ‘em a piece of revenge, lähimmäinen. I’ll see you at your home soil.”_ then there was the audible click of the line being disconnected.

Their next race was in Germany, on the Hockenheimring.

And well, Michael wanted to do well in front of his home crowd.

* * *

But the Hockenheimring didn’t bring him any luck whatsoever.

He qualified only 9th, 1.6 seconds off Mika’s pole lap. Nor could he blame things on the car, as Eddie had qualified in 6th position. He just hadn’t done enough during qualifying.

It was all coming down on Sunday anyway. But he needed the points to catch Mika.

The race didn’t go any better, sadly.

He was stuck behind Irvine for too long and strategy barely worked, he only finished 5th while Mika grabbed those 10 points for the win.

“Not your luck this year, huh?” the Finn said, handing him a glass of Finnish vodka.

“Apparently not.” the Ferrari driver replied, shrugging. “You’re not uncatchable though. I’m just sixteen points behind you with five more races to go. You’re not out of the woods just yet.”

“Neither are you. The only thing we do know is that it’s going to be one of us, unless we have both at least three dnf’s and David wins those three.”

“Let’s hope not.” the German took a sip of the vodka. It was stronger than anything he’d had before. It made him feel pretty warm on the inside.

The championship leader threw his head back and gulped down his vodka all at once.

“How do you Finns even do that?” the sandy blonde asked.

“Lots and lots of training.” and the McLaren driver put his glass on the table before producing a bottle out of nowhere. “There was another article today. It said you slept with DC, to get him to block me so you can win, that you promised him your body.”

Michael laughed. “Which magazine?”

“Phew… I think it was the Daily Mail. Wait a sec, Heidi left another one again.”

“Why does she even read them?”

Mika shrugged. “I know she likes to know what’s going on in the world, and I guess she’s one of those people who believe there’s some truth behind every rumour.” he opened a drawer and pulled out something. “Aha, here it is. Daily Mail, page 4, _‘Mounting That Pressure’_. What a title.”

“Yeah, it even sounds stupid.” but the Ferrari driver still took the paper from his title rival.

The article was indeed there.

* * *

_‘We’ve all been able to watch how Scotsman David Coulthard is trying to attack his Finnish teammate Mika Häkkinen, McLaren’s favourite son for the title this year. He has been putting a lot of pressure on himself during this entire ordeal, it seems as if he’s unable to play second fiddle._

_Perhaps it’s got something to do with Häkkinen’s rather promiscuous title rival Michael Schumacher._

_We all know Schumacher is prepared to do literally everything to win; from deliberately crashing into his rival to using other very dirty tactics… and this is just the top of the iceberg. Perhaps this new development around DC is another one of dear Schumi’s mind games: getting to your rival through their teammate._

_It’s been suggested that Schumacher has seduced Coulthard into trying to take away points from Häkkinen in order to slim his points deficit to the Finnish driver._

_There is no rulebook about fraternization between drivers off-track. But if there was, Michael Schumacher would certainly have broken them all.’_

* * *

The German did a facepalm. “These people are so fucking stupid.”

“They really are.” the platinum blonde said, taking a swig of vodka straight from the bottle. “Because why go for my teammate, who’s in a relationship, while your rival is just as single.”

Michael started laughing hard. He had to clutch his belly with both hands and his cheeks were starting to hurt, that’s how much he was laughing.

The Finn was just smirking. “At least, that’s what I would do, and I was indeed the promiscuous man the media paints you as. I’d skip Eddie and go straight for you.”

The dirty blonde drank some vodka again. “Oh? And what would you do to me?”

“What I’d do to you? Oh, that’s rather simple.”

“Is it?”

Mika nodded and leaned closer. “I’d fuck you until you were unable to sit for weeks, that driving a Formula One car on the limit would remind you of me.”

“That does sound like a pretty good plan.” the Ferrari driver drank the rest of his glass.

“But we’re not such promiscuous men.” the slightly taller man stated, leaning back into the cushions of the couch they were both sitting on.

Schumacher handed his title rival his glass. “I need another one.”

“Certainly.” and he poured them both another glass.

* * *

The next day, Michael was kinda disoriented.

He knew he wasn’t lying in a bed and that his pillow was actually rather hard. He groaned and lifted his head to look at his surroundings. He immediately noticed though that his head hadn’t been lying on a pillow but on Mika’s naked chest.

The bottle of vodka was empty and lying on its side next to their glasses.

The German looked down on himself. His blouse had been opened, but nothing else about his clothes seemed to be missing.

Then, the second man in the room groaned. “Man, that’s one hell of a headache.”

“Well, we did drink an entire bottle of vodka.” Schumacher buttoned his blouse up. “Do you remember what happened last night? My memory is foggy.”

“Yeah. You drank too much and we took our shirts off. You apparently wanted to touch my muscles.”

The Ferrari driver blushed. “Oh.”

Häkkinen smirked. “Don’t worry, I didn’t mind. I swing both ways too.”

The dirty blonde let out a sigh of relief. “There aren’t many who don’t mind.”

“I know. I trust you.”

* * *

Jean Todt narrowed his eyes as he saw his driver sitting in the public break room in the VIP section above the pits in Hungary. Michael was sitting with Häkkinen, eating lunch and _playing chess_.

The two seemed to talk animatedly. The Frenchman didn’t know what they were talking about, but they looked to be enthusiastic about it.

The Ferrari team principal didn’t really trust anyone from McLaren, not after that cheating comment from Ron Dennis before Austria. Just because Michael had 3 straight wins.

And well, drivers fraternizing could influence what happened on track.

It’s not like Todt minded that Schumacher played chess with someone, he understood it was a way for Michael to keep his mind sharp and work. But he played it with _Häkkinen_ , his title rival.

Had it been Irvine or Ralf, he wouldn’t have minded it and just gone on. Even if playing chess with Irvine would fuel the rumours about Michael controlling his teammate through sex.

But none of those rumours were career destroying. A rumour about him laying with his direct title rival, however, could very much mean the end of Schumacher’s racing career.

Ecclestone may not care what drivers do among themselves to gain an advantage, but even the slightest possibility that a driver may use their sexuality on another to gain something that way… that wasn’t good for the image of Formula One. And it’s all about the spectators, that’s how the sport gains income. If they were losing spectators because of such rumours, the offending driver would have to be removed no matter who he was and how much talent he had.

If the media saw this, there would be talk.

For them, it was too good of an opportunity to drag a big name through the mud.

* * *

“I have to admit, you’re good for someone who doesn’t have much experience.” Michael mused as he looked at the chess board.

The Finn seemed to be smug about it. “I learn quickly.”

“And that’s a good quality about you.” the Ferrari driver stated. “Adaption is a quality of a champion.”

“Good to know you think so highly of me.” Mika watched as his rival moved his rook.

“I haven’t had good competition in a while. And I like challenges.”

The McLaren driver leaned forward, scanned the board, and moved his bishop.

That made the German raise an eyebrow. “Now that’s a move I haven’t seen in a while.”

The platinum blonde laughed.

“Don’t celebrate just yet.” and he put his knight in that bishop’s path.

“Oi… playing it risky huh?”

“Risky and aggressive… that’s pretty much my style.”

* * *

Michael made a master move in Hungary on the Sunday, teaching the McLaren boys how strategy is done. Even though he liked to have his brother with him on the podium, he’d rather have Mika there to see the look in the man’s ice blue eyes.

He regarded Mika as some sort of equal, not just another competitor that he should defeat cost what cost. He guessed it was just something about Mika, and not just the reasons he was attracted to his Finnish rival.

Mika was a charismatic man, strong and well-mannered. He had a different view on how an F1 driver should live their life, but not everyone needed to think the same way.

* * *

“Call me weird, but I don’t like this place.” Mika murmured.

The F1 circus had arrived at the Temple of Speed in Italy, Monza… the home of the Tifosi. There wasn’t so much love for Ferrari’s rivals McLaren. The Italian fans were highly passionate for their home team’s championship competitor.

The Ferrari driver laughed. “No, I get it. So much red can indeed be somewhat intimidating if you’re not a Ferrari driver. Don’t worry, I’m with you.”

“My heart rests in peace when you’re with me.”

Michael just shook his head, turning away to face the walking path to the paddock while the fans were yelling and shouting, wanting a picture with Ferrari’s hero. He kinda knew his title rival was flirting with him, something he really didn’t mind.

People would say it was an act of his promiscuous nature, that he invited the flirtations.

But Mika was a bloody handsome guy.

* * *

The last race of the ’98 season was in Japan, the title decider too.

Somehow, everything went against Michael that day.

Fate didn’t allow him to win his 3rd title just yet, but it crowned Mika as the World Champion.

Maybe Fate wasn’t a bitch after all. Losing to Mika wasn’t the worst thing that could happen.

“Congratulations, _World Champion_.” the German purred.

They were now alone in Mika’s hotel room, blinders and curtains closed and door locked.

The McLaren driver was grinning. He hadn’t been able to stop smiling since he’d stepped out of his car. “Aren’t you going to give me something?”

The driver in red nudged his head. “What would you want from me?”

“I would really like you to kiss me.”

Micha stepped closer. “Pretty sure I can do that.” he placed his hands on his rival’s cheeks, slowly closed his eyes and softly kissed the other man.

The new Champion moaned into the kiss, and then placed his hand on the back of his competitor’s neck, to deepen the kiss.

Once they parted, the Ferrari driver smirked. “You’re very sneaky, Mika.”

“I had to be. Otherwise we wouldn’t have kissed.”

Michael laughed. “True. Would you like another kiss?”

“Not saying no to that.” and the Finn leaned in.

The dark blonde laughed just before the other man captured his lips.

He could get used to it, to Mika, to feel that strong body pressed against him.

“I’m sorry I can’t stay long.” Mika said, after parting their lips.

“I’m certain I’ll see you again.”


End file.
